


Escaping Wonderland

by CxNxPxS



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: AU, Action, Adventure, Angst, Crime, Mystery, Spoilers, takes place in the Dark Continent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-02
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2018-12-10 06:26:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11685927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CxNxPxS/pseuds/CxNxPxS
Summary: The ship heading for the Dark Continent crashes on an island that has beautiful scenery but a dark secret that haunts the survivors looking for food, medical supplies, and shelter. Among the survivors are the spiders, an annoyed assassin, a bloodthirsty magician, and a pro hunter who travel with groups of people.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was inspired to write this after looking at a TV series called Wrecked. The characterizations are a little ooc at times. If you haven't read the current chapters in the manga, please do so because there are some spoilers in this fan fic.
> 
> Enjoy!

 Hisoka pulls his sweater’s hood down more to hide his face from the group of people standing around him inside the vandalize supermarket. He watches a chubby girl, who has short purple hair, climb on top of a table with a clipboard in her hand. She looks around at everyone quietly and after a few moments, she looks down at her clipboard and speaks loudly.

“Thank you all for following my group here. I promise that we will find shelter, food, and medical supplies soon. Before we separate into small groups and search for canned food and bottle waters, I would like to clarify something. If you are a dangerous criminal, please leave the store at once. I’m sorry but my group doesn’t want to risk traveling with you,” she says looking around at everyone to see if anyone is going to leave the supermarket. When nobody moves, she speaks again, this time louder. “Again, if you are a deadly criminal, please leave at once. Hell, if you want to take some canned foods and water, please do so, but you have to leave.”

A girl with short black hair standing toward the front speaks up. “As much as I hate criminals, don’t you think you’re being a little unreasonable? They will die by god knows what if they travel alone in the forest. Wouldn’t it be better to have them with us? They could protect us from lunatics in another group.”

The girl with the purple hair raises an eyebrow. “Are you saying this because you’re a criminal who wants to steal from us?”

“No, I’m just saying if we keep the criminals with us, they could protect us from other criminals who might be prowling in the forest,” the girl with black hair says defensively.

A man wearing bottle coke glasses and a hoodie that has a duck on it shakes his head. “What the hell is wrong with you? We can’t let deadly criminals stay in our group. Are you that desperate to die? They will steal all of our supplies and slit our throat. What makes you think a criminal will protect us from other psycho’s? They only care about themselves.” He looks up at the girl with purple hair. “Don’t listen to her. Let’s grab what we need and get the hell out of this place before the infected show up.”

The girl with purple hair nods her head in agreement before looking around at everyone again. “Like I said before, if you are a criminal, please leave at once otherwise we’ll be force to interrogate everyone to find out who’s a criminal. One of the leaders in my group has a nen ability that allows him to detect a lie.” She looks back at a short man who’s wearing a baseball and an oversize sweater. “He’s willing to question everyone to ensure safety in our group.”

Hisoka wonders how his nen ability works and what questions he’ll ask because if he’s able to detect lies from a simple response, he’ll find out he’s a criminal instantly. He tries to think of a good lie to tell him; one that will convince him that he’s a law abiding citizen who hasn’t shed blood.

“I’m willing to answer any questions that he asks. Let’s get on with it so that we can find supplies,” Hisoka says walking toward the short man.

The longer he stays with the group, the chances of finding a strong opponent to kill increases. He can’t separate from the group at all cost. If he does, he’ll be bored and eventually his bloodlust will skyrocket, causing him to go berserk in which he’ll kill anyone in sight. Not that it’s a bad thing but he has standards except when it comes to the Phantom Troupe.

He wonders where they are on the island and what they are doing especially Chrollo since he knows the troupe leader is probably shaken up from the loss of two members. Thinking about Chrollo’s rag makes him hard a little. He can’t wait for their next fight.

Hisoka wants to leave the group but decides to stay so that he can find a temporary toy to play with until he kills another spider. He’s willing to do anything to keep them together, even if he has to kill an innocent person and claim they are a criminal.

The girl with the purple hair smiles at Hisoka and steps down from the table. “I want everyone to line up behind this gentleman so that we can begin the questioning.”

~*~

Chrollo stands inside of a living room waiting for Phinks, Feitan, and Machi to finish stealing supplies from the second floor. The crisp cold air kisses his skin, causing him to shiver a little. He zips up his winter coat and walks into the kitchen to see if there is any canned food inside the cabinets. The only thing he finds is crumble papers and mouse traps.

“Find anything?” Feitan asks carrying a backpack full of medical supplies and candy bars. He sets it on an armchair next to the kitchen and rubs his hands together. “It’s getting pretty cold. We need to find a secure place to stay overnight before the temperature drops.”

“I was thinking about staying at the gas station we had passed a few miles back. If we leave now, we’ll be able to make it there in an hour,” Chrollo says looking out the window above the sink. He stares at a deer sniffing snow by a tree. “How good are your hunting skills?”

“I used to hunt when I was young. What do you want to eat for dinner?” Feitan asks joining him at the window. He notices the deer by the tree and grins a little. “Have you ever had deer curry?”

“No, but I’m willing to eat anything at this moment,” Chrollo says placing his hand on his stomach. It grows a little. “Once Machi and Phinks come downstairs, we’ll head to the gas station. ”

~*~

Illumi sits inside of an office that has mold on the wall and floor. A short man wearing a baseball cap and oversize hoodie sits on the edge of the desk, chewing on bubble gum that smells like grapes. The assassin wants to drive a needle into his skull and watch his blood paint the floor but he decides against it. Killing him will only cause issues; big issues that will cast suspicion upon everyone.

His goal is to stay in the group so that he can find someone and interrogate them for answers in how to escape the island.

“What is your name and what deck where you on the ship?” the short man asks crossing his arms. He stares at the assassin’s attire, carefully taking note of his hoodie’s color and the rips in his tight blue jeans.

“My name is Illu and I was on the second deck on the ship,” Illumi replies without hesitation.

“Why were you going to the Dark Continent?”

“For business,” Illumi says confidently.

The truth is his family was going to the Dark Continent because they were hired by Queen Oito to assassinate her siblings in the succession war. They were paid a large sum, too much according to his grandfather, to kill her siblings. Queen Oito wanted her siblings to die fast and painfully before they got a chance to send assassins to take her life.

Now that Queen Oito is missing ever since the ship had crashed on the island, his assignment is finished and he wants to find new work. Mostly work that will lead him to someone who knows how to get off the island.

The short man makes a humming noise as he leans forward a little bit to examine Illumi’s pale skin and lifeless eyes. “Did they have business with the Kakin family?”

“Yes but the deal didn’t work out.”

“What was the deal?”

Illumi puts his hand into the front pocket on his hoodie and grabs a needle but doesn’t take it out. He’s prepared to kill the short man if he figures out the truth behind his family’s affairs on the ship.

“They were…”Illumi begins to say but stops as soon as someone bursts into the room. He looks at the door and sees a little girl with long pink hair, breathing hard as if she’s just ran a marathon.

“We need to go! Someone killed three people in the diary aisle and there are some infected by the check-out,” she says quickly between breathes. She looks at Illumi but isn’t able to see his face fully because his hood is pulled down low. “Come on let’s go!”

Illumi follows the short man and the little girl out of an emergency exit in the back of the store and find the group waiting for them by two large dumpsters. They all are carrying a backpack or satchel filled with medical supplies and canned food. Illumi tightens his grin on his backpack’s strap and remembers that he had wanted to search apple bunnies in the supermarket.

It’s too late now.

The chubby girl with purple hair waves them over and points to a dirt path leading into the forest. They take the path one by one, walking behind each other in a straight line silently. Some people occasionally mutter things underneath their breath while others look around their surroundings carefully to make sure a creature or a criminal doesn’t jump out at them.

“Where are we going?” a young boy with a large mole underneath his left eye asks Illumi. He walks beside him with his hands inside his coat’s pocket, chewing on bubblegum that smells like strawberries.

Illumi wonders if everyone chews on bubblegum during a crisis.

The assassin ignores the young boy’s question and stares at the people walking ahead of him. He notices a tall man wearing a hoodie that has the hood over his head, looking around at everyone with hunger in his eyes. He’s seen that look before in an acquaintance eyes he had worked with in the past.

There’s no way the psychotic magician is stuck on this island. Why was he heading to the Dark Continent? More importantly, how is he alive? He had heard that Hisoka had died from a blast in Heaven’s Arena.

“Hey, where are you we going?” the young boy asks again, this time tugging on Illumi’s sleeve. “I need to look for my parents. Can you help me?”

“No,” Illumi says rudely.

The young boy clicks his tongue. “Why can’t you help me? Are you going to look for your girlfriend and screw her brains out? All of the adults in the group do that. If they’re not screwing each other, they are fighting or trying to steal each other’s supplies.”

“I don’t care.”

“You should care since there’s a girl who’s interested in you. I overhead her telling someone that she wants to screw your brains out and steal your supplies,” the young boy says in a matter of fact tone.

Illumi raises an eyebrow. “Does this girl know how to get off the island?”

“What? I don’t know. Maybe,” he says looking up at the assassin. He notices his pale skin and pieces of his long black hair sticking out of the hood. “Actually, I think she knows a way off the island but I won’t tell you unless you help me find my parents.”

Illumi wants to kill the annoying brat but he decides to play into his little game with hope he’ll get more information about the girl. He looks down at the young boy and forces a smile on his face, baring his fangs.

“I’ll help you but first tell me the way off this island,” Illumi says in a calm tone.

The young boy laughs. “No! You have to help me find my parents first.”

“Where are your parents?” Illumi asks annoyed.

“Are you really going to help me?” the young boy asks with puppy dog eyes.

Illumi narrows his eyes. “Yes, now tell me where they are.”

If this kid doesn’t tell him now, he’s going to kill him.

The young boy smiles brightly. “Okay, they said that they would be waiting for me at a gas station that’s not too far from here. I tried to ask the leader in this group to help me but they said no and that they are probably dead.”

“Most likely they are,” Illumi mutters.

~*~

Chrollo, Machi, Feitan, and Phinks stand in front of the empty gas station, admiring graffiti of a futurist city that has floating cars and large stars in the sky. Whoever had drawn it wasn’t afraid of the infected or too concerned with stealing supplies inside the building. The graffiti reaches the roof and covers majority of the front side.

Feitan walks around the building two times to make sure there aren’t any infected or people hiding. He finds a backpack filled with candy bars, apples, and some medical supplies. He empties the contents into Phink’s backpack and enters the gas station. Chrollo, Machi, and Phinks follow him inside.

The smell of mold and rotten food fill air but it doesn’t disturb the members in the Phantom Troupe. To them, the smell reminds them of their childhood in Meteor City. They welcome the smell by inhaling it and blowing out their breath as if they are smoking a cigarette.

The first thing they notice is that the room is large even though it looks small on the outside. There are canned foods and bottle of juices on shelves and an L shape couch in the corner. A door leading to a hallway that has a bathroom and storage room has blood splattered on it. Near the door are two dead bodies. Both have bullet holes in their skull.  

Feitan kicks the dead body before stepping over it. He looks inside the hallway to see if someone is hiding or if there’s an infected. The only thing he finds is toilet tissue and empty candy wrappers on the floor next to a mattress that has a blanket and pillow on it. He smiles because he wants to sleep on something soft for the night instead of the cold floor.

“Boss, the dead bodies were the people staying here. Shall I burn their bodies in the back?” Feitan asks kicking the dead bodies again. He notices they are an elderly couple who liked expensive things such as the gold necklaces around their neck. He takes it off of them and puts it into his pocket. “Phinks, carry the bodies to the back.”

“Are you asking or telling me?” Phinks says looking over at him.

Feitan narrows his eyes. “Just help me.”

The two carry the bodies to the back of the gas station and burry them instead of setting it on fire. The fire would attract people looking for shelter. The Phantom Troupe doesn’t want to share the gas station with anyone else unless they are willing to steal things for them but the decision is up to Chrollo. Most likely he’ll say no and order the members to kill them.

The safety of the troupe is what matters to Chrollo especially after he had lost two precious members to Hisoka’s hand. He didn’t except the magician to survive the explosion at Heaven’s Arena. Hell, he was sure it had blown his body to pieces but it had only caused severe burn wounds on his body.

Thinking about Shalnark and Kortopi’s death causes Chrollo’s chest to tighten as he picks up a box of tea off the shelf. He wonders if the remaining troupe members blame him for their deaths since its fault for sending two nenless members to confirm Hisoka’s death. He should have gone instead of them. If he did, they would be here right now chatting his ear off about what things to steal.

Tears swell up in his eyes as he looks inside the box of tea to see if there is any inside. He doesn’t find any except for flower petals and grass. He puts the box back on the shelf and picks up another box of tea that has several teabags inside of it. He takes a teabag out and smells it to find out what flavor it is. The smell of lemon fills his nostrils with a pleasant aroma.

“Boss, did you hear what I just said?” Machi says tapping him on the shoulder.

Chrollo wipes his eyes and looks down at her. “What did you say?”

“Are you okay?” Machi asks as she stares into his glossy eyes. She knows that he’s tearing up inside from Shalnark and Kortopi’s death. She misses them also but doesn’t express it. Instead, she bottles her emotions and stays strong for the troupe. “If you need to rest, I can prepare a bed for you.”

“I’m fine. What did you want to tell me?” Chrollo says calmly.

Machi points to the hallway. “Phinks found some blankets, candles, body soap, and a shower in the storage room. If you want to take a shower first, you can.”

“I’ll take a shower after you,” Chrollo says.


	2. Chapter 2

 

 

The group stops at a rest stop near the highway so that everyone can use the restroom even though they are unable to flush the toilet. People line up outside the bathroom, waiting patiently while looking around the forest to see if there is any infected nearby. Some people drink water while others munch on snacks. Illumi stands in line quietly, wondering where his grandfather and father are on the island. Most likely they aren’t in a group since a Zoldyck prefers to travel alone.

The only reason Illumi joined a group is to find someone who knows a way off the island. Once he gets an answer, he will search for his family and leave the island unless someone offers him a job; however, the chances of it happening is low since everyone is concerned with surviving more than slitting each other’s throat. Besides, if someone were to discover that he’s a deadly assassin, they might try to get him kicked out of the group.

The young boy kicks some snow into a small hole in the ground. He laughs a little as he kicks more snow, sending a small amount onto Illumi’s pants. Illumi reaches into his sweater’s front pocket and places his hand on a needle; contemplating if he wants to lodge it into the young boy’s skull for being a pest. A tall man with black shaggy hair wearing a women’s winter coat turns around and smiles eerily at him.

“Some vacation this is huh? I spent a lot of money to go to the Dark Continent and I end up stuck on this bizarre island,” the man says eyeing Illumi’s attire carefully as if he’s judging him for a fashion show. “Do you have any snacks? Could I have one?”

“I don’t have any,” Illumi lies. He looks over at the young boy. “He might have some.”

“Even if he does, I’m not going to take food from a child. I want your snacks. Now give me one or else I’ll tell the leader that you’re an assassin,” the man whispers. He places his hand on Illumi’s shoulder and smiles wide, baring his fangs. “I’m sure you could kill me right now but you’re not going to.”

“What makes you think I won’t kill you?” Illumi says staring into the man’s eyes, wondering how he knows about his profession. Either he is good at guessing or he has worked with his family in the past.

The man looks over at the young boy. “If he told you that somebody knows a way off this island, he’s not lying but that person is in another group. Our group used to be big but we split into two so that it wouldn’t attract too much attention. If you want to find that person, I can show you where they are at.”

Illumi tightens his grip on the needle as he continues to stare into the man’s eyes. “I don’t need your help.”

“Are you sure? What if I paid you to be my bodyguard? I want to find this person too so that I can escape this island,” the man says truthfully.

The thought of protecting a weak, obnoxious moron rubs Illumi the wrong way. He much rather kill him and find the other group with the young boy. At least the young boy doesn’t know his true identity and isn’t threatening to reveal it.

Illumi decides that he will kill the man inside the bathroom and leave his body in a stall. The thought of piercing a needle into the man’s chest brings joy to his frigid heart. Soon, the only person who knows his true identity will be drowning in his blood on the dirty floor in the restroom.

~*~

Chrollo wraps a blanket around his body as he sits in between Machi and Feitan on the L shape couch. Phinks sleeps on the mattress in the hallway, snoring so loud that it could attract survivors’ miles away to the building; however, it’s too cold outside for anyone to walk around. If they did, there is a chance they will get frostbite within five minutes. The area the gas station is located in has a lower temperature than the other areas.

“You should try to get some sleep. I can keep watch,” Machi says before yawning.

“I’ll keep watch,” Chrollo says opening up a book he found on the shelf. There’s some ink stains and dirt on the cover. “I don’t want anything to happen to the spiders.”

“Nothing bad is going to happen.”

“I lost two members. I don’t want to lose anymore,” Chrollo says flipping the pages in the book, staring at the words as if they have an answer to solve his problem.

“You can’t protect everyone,” Machi says closing her eyes and leaning her head against the couch. She knows that Chrollo is afraid that Hisoka will show up and kill the remaining spiders but it’s not going to happen. The psychotic magician wasn’t aboard the ship.

At least she believes he wasn’t lurking in the hallways on the ship, waiting for his opportunity to crush a spider. He wasn’t inside of the waiting room on the fourth or fifth deck nor was he in any of the cramped hotel rooms that are big enough for two people.

“I’m going to protect the remaining spiders even if I end up dying to that bastard,” Chrollo says looking up from the book to the shelf in the corner of the room. There is a small spider crawling on top of two toppled boxes of cereal toward a hole in the wall.  He watches into the hole and disappear.

Machi opens her eyes and stares at Chrollo for a few moments before tucking her feet underneath her and pulling a blanket over her body. She knows that he feels guilty about Shalnark and Kortopi’s death but he didn’t know that Hisoka could revive himself from the dead. Not even she did yet some parts of her want to blame him for not guaranteeing the magician’s death by making sure the bomb would blast his body into pieces.

It’s too late to assign blame since the damage is done. Shalnark and Kortopi aren’t coming back. There’s nothing the reaming spiders can do beside move forward with their life, steal Kakin treasure, and escape the island.

If Hisoka shows up along the way, they will make sure he stays dead.

~*~

Hisoka follows the group to a highway that’s twenty minutes from the rest stop. There are fallen trees, trash, and some corpses on the ground. Some weeds and flowers stick out of the snow. Hisoka notices a rose next to a corpse that has a bullet hole in their forehead. He wonders if the person had begged for mercy before taking their last breath.

The chubby girl with purple hair, Hisoka still doesn’t know her name, stops everyone so that a young girl with orange hair can sit down on the ground. She breathes heavy as if she just ran a marathon and her eyes are bloodshot. Some people standing near her back up a little, afraid that she might become an infected.

“We need to find medical supplies and shelter for some people. I want two people to look for shelter that’s big enough for all of us,” the chubby girl says loudly.

Hisoka takes a step forward and raises his hand. “I volunteer to look for shelter.”

He wants to volunteer so that he can see if there are any strong survivors dwelling in the forest, waiting to kill their prey. So far he hasn’t run into any other killers in the forest or in the group. It’s slightly disappointing that he still hasn’t killed in a few days although it feels like weeks to him.

If he keeps waiting for a strong opponent to show up, his bloodlust will overcome him, and he might kill everyone in the group. Not that it’s a bad thing if everyone is dead but he wants more toys to play with.

“I want another person to go with you,” the chubby girl says looking around the group for a suitable candidate who could join Hisoka.

Hisoka chuckles a little. “I prefer to go alone.”

“I want Taz to go with you,” the chubby girl says pointing at a tall man who has spikey blue hair, wearing a scarf and oversize winter jacket. He frowns a little as soon as he hears his name. “Yes, Taz, I’m talking to you. Please accompany Hisoka.”

Taz looks over at Hisoka and sighs a little. “Yeah, okay, fine. Did you want me to bring a gun or a bow for protection?”

“There should be a gun inside my bag. Make sure you put it back when you return,” the chubby girl says looking down at the sick girl on the ground.

Taz opens up her bag, takes out a gun, and joins Hisoka by a path that leads into the forest. Hisoka doesn’t greet Taz because he’s not interested in conversing with a soon to be dead man. He might kill him if he is a strong opponent. Even if he isn’t, he still might kill him to satisfy his boredom.

Taz puts the gun into his back pocket and looks around the forest to make sure there aren’t any infected nearby. “Why did you volunteer so quickly? Have you been to his island before?”

“No. Have you?”

Taz shakes his head. “No but I heard that there’s a girl in another group who knows a way off this hellhole.”

Hisoka raises an eyebrow. “There’s another group? Where are they?”

“I’m not sure. I was going to ask if you knew because quite frankly I want to leave our group. I hate everyone, especially the leader,” Taz says clenching his fist. He shoves them into his pants pocket and looks up at the sky. “Hopefully we can reach this gas station before midnight. I don’t want to be out here at night.”

Hisoka’s not sure what conflicts the group has and to be honest, he doesn’t care since he won’t be in the group for long. He plans on ditching the group, if he doesn’t kill everyone, after he’s fought all of the strong opponents; however, now that he knows there might be someone who knows a way off the island, it makes him reconsider killing Taz.

Maybe Taz will be an interesting toy to play with after all.

“Why haven’t you looked for the other group if you know someone in it can help you escape the island?” Hisoka asks.

Taz makes a humming noise. “I thought about it a few times but I decided to stick with our group because I might not be able to survive on my own. For all I know the other group could be on the other side of the island. I heard from some people who had travel from that side, there’s a large desert there.”

“Did they find a town in the desert?”

“I’m not sure. They wouldn’t tell me.”

“Maybe we should go there and look for the group,” Hisoka suggests.

Taz likes the idea of traveling with Hisoka to the desert but he won’t do it since he doesn’t trust the magician yet. “I’m not sure. Let’s just focus on our current task.”

 “Sure,” Hisoka whispers.

~*~

Kaito’s not sure why the leader in his group wants them to kill everyone inside of a gas station that’s thirty minutes from their location. One person had reported that they had seen a group of people enter the gas station and not come out. Another person had reported they had seen another group stop on a highway that’s forty minutes from the gas station. Apparently that group had sent two people to scope out the gas station for enemies and supplies.

The thought of killing other survivors for their supplies pisses off Kaito because he prefers to negotiate like civilized people instead of resorting to violence. Violence doesn’t solve any problems. It causes mistrust, paranoia, and divides the group.

He much rather see everyone calm, knowing that they are safe for the time being instead of worrying that their neighbor might kill them in their sleep. He doesn’t trust everyone in the group yet but he believes there might be someone who’s willing to negotiate with the group inside the gas station, maybe come to a decision in which it can be shared.

Kaito listens to a tall older man who has gray hair wearing a down jacket. They tell everyone to be prepared to leave at dawn for the gas station and if someone wants to ditch the group, they should take their things and get the hell out. Kaito is half tempted to walk away but he decides to stay, praying the situation goes well.

“If anyone has a question about our plans for tomorrow, please ask me now or later,” the tall man says in a booming voice.

Kaito picks up his backpack off the ground, dusts off snow from it, and walks over to a tall tree and sits down. Clumps of snow fall off a tree branch on to a patch of grass near him. He notices that the grass doesn’t have any ice forming on it nor does it seem like it’s dying like the other patches of grass he’s seen in the forest.

“It’s strange isn’t it? Some parts of the island are covered in sand while this part is covered in snow. It makes you wonder what causes it to happen,” a short young woman who has curly blue hair wearing an expensive fur coat says to Kaito. She sits down next to him and folds her hands in her lap.  “My name is Yarn, what’s your name?”

“It doesn’t matter what my name is,” Kaito replies in a somewhat rude tone that causes Yarn to wrinkle her nose. He doesn’t feel like making small talk with a potential murderer who doesn’t have a problem killing another survivor for their supplies.

“If you’re hungry, I have extra snacks that I found inside of a cabin. Would you like one? You haven’t eaten since joining our group,” Yarn says reaching into her backpack for a candy bar. She holds it out to Kaito, smiling a little. “Here, take it.”

Kaito looks down at it. “I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? I know where to get more if you are really hungry,” Yarn says trying to put it into his hand. Kaito looks away from her to gaze at the patch of grass near him. She puts the candy bar back into her backpack and sighs. “Look, I understand that being stuck on an island with a bunch of strangers isn’t the best vacation but if you ask me, you could use a friend.”

“Why do I need a friend?” Kaito asks, curious as to why she had suggested friendship during a terrible time. There’s people who are infected with a disease that makes them crazy and other survivors who may or may not be trying to kill others for supplies.

Making a friend right now is the last thing on his mind.

Yarn picks up some snow off the ground and sprinkles it on a flower next to her. “What if someone knew a way off this island but they didn’t want to tell anyone else except for a friend?”

Kaito raises an eyebrow. “What do you mean? There aren’t any boats.”

“There are other ways to escape the island,” Yarn says picking up more snow and sprinkling it on the flower.

Kaito thinks about what other transportation to use if there aren’t any boats. There isn’t a bridge that connects to the neighboring islands nor is there an airport. In fact he hasn’t seen any cars on the highway or signs that anyone has lived in the cabins scattered across the island. It seems as if the island has been deserted for years because there is grass, mold, and weed covering the cabins, gas stations, and supermarkerts.

Whatever happened on the island, it had caused the residents to flee. Kaito wonders if their disappearance has anything to do with the disease that’s infecting some of the survivors. The only thing he knows about the disease is that a person can be infected from a bite, scratch, or mixture of fluids. The early symptoms are a cough, fever, bloodshot eyes, and sudden mood swings. Once the disease progresses, the person goes berserk in which they will kill anyone in sight.

Kaito looks at Yarn. “Do you know a way off this island? Is that the reason why you brought it up?”

Yarn shrugs as she picks up more snow. “I won’t say anything unless we’re friends.” She looks over at one of the leaders in the group who’s a tall woman wearing a down jacket. “I don’t trust anyone in this group. I want to leave but…”

“You much rather travel with someone you trust. It makes sense especially if you know a way off this island. Am I right?” Kaito says.

Yarn bites her bottom lip before responding. “Yes…”

Kaito wants to tell her that he’s interested in leaving the group with her to find whatever is hidden on the island that will help them escape. Traveling in pairs is safe, convenient, and doesn’t attract the infected or other survivors as much as traveling in a group.

Maybe he’ll consider her deal as long as she doesn’t backstab him. It would be such a shame to kill the very person who might know a way off the island. That’s if she’s really telling the truth. Kaito hates being lied to as much as he hates eating a hamburger without ketchup on it.

Kaito looks around the group for a few moments before turning his attention to a dirt path leading deep into the forest. If his calculations are correct, the path will lead them to a highway that’s close to the gas station. Well, the only gas station he’s seen so far. He had visited the gas station before joining the group, taking supplies to survive. Luckily, the place was empty, almost as if it’s been abandoned for a few weeks since there was some spoiled food in the refrigerator inside of the storage room.

“We leave at midnight and if I find out you’re lying, I won’t hesitate to kill you,” Kaito says sternly even though he prefers to not take a life.

Yarn eyes widen. “Really? You will travel with me?

“Yes,” Kaito says even though he doesn’t trust her yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this. Please leave a kudo or comment if you like


	3. Chapter 3

 

Taz stands in front of a tree, emptying his full bladder, humming a tune to a popular song that’s played constantly on the radio while Hisoka stands on the path searching for infected or other survivors. If any show up, he wants to play around with them for a bit until he gets bored and kills them.

The thought of killing Taz crosses Hisoka’s mind as he makes a card appear in his hand. He holds it close to his face, inspecting the sharp edges, as if he’s about to use it to cut a cake. He doesn’t have that many cards on him since majority of them were lost on the ship after it had crashed on the island. He doesn’t mind the low quantity but having more cards means he can kill more people when the time is right.

In his case, the time is right all the time. He could have killed everyone in Taz’s group in a split second. Hell, he could have killed majority of the people on the boat except for some of the Kakin princes. They have strong nen beasts that can kill multiple people in a flash. He had tried to gather information about their nen but no one seemed to know anything about it.

“I can keep watch if you need to piss,” Taz says walking over to him, adjusting the backpack slung across his shoulder. He stops a few feet away from him and sighs a little. “I really hope we’re close to the gas station. Nightfall will be here soon and I don’t want to die by whatever is lurking in the forest.”

Hisoka stares at Taz quietly before walking over to a tree to empty his bladder. Dangerous creatures, the infected, and survivors excite him because there’s a chance a few might be a worthy opponent he can fight. He grows hard a little thinking about what words his opponents will say as they stare up at him, pleading for their life.

 Hisoka returns to the path after a few minutes and the two continue down the path, deeper into the forest, for thirty minutes. Snow starts to fall faster in larger quantities, blanketing everything it touches.

The path ends at an old bridge that has chipped paint and cracks in the wood. The bridge goes over a stream filled with colorful fish and other marine life. As the two cross the bridge, someone screams in the distance followed by a gun shot. Taz stops walking and grabs Hisoka’s sleeve.

“Let’s take a different route. We don’t want to get involved with a bunch of crazy survivors,” Taz says as he guides Hisoka off the bridge.

Hisoka plays along and follows him innocently, pretending that he’s afraid of the commotion in the forest.  

“I saw another path back there,” Taz points to a group of trees that are completely covered in snow. “If we take that path, it should lead us to the gas station.”

“How do you know that?” Hisoka asks, curious as to how he knows where the paths go even though he doesn’t have a map.

Has he been to this island before?

“It’s a haunch,” Taz replies.

Hisoka raises an eyebrow. “What if the path leads us to a group of crazy survivors? We can’t kill all of them.”

“I have a gun but I’ll only use it if I have to. Besides, most survivors aren’t going to trek deeper into the forest unless they are trying to kill someone for their supplies but even that is suicide,” Taz says confidently as if he’s practiced saying the words for a play. He takes a step forward and clears his throat. “Look, I know you’re probably scared and don’t want to kill but a time will come when you’ll have to make a decision. You either live or die.”

Hisoka nods his head, continuing to pretend to be interested in Taz’s life lesson on surviving. In a life or death situation, a normal person would kill to survive but he would purposely let the situation escalate until he’s forced to kill.

Killing someone to survive isn’t interesting to the magician. What really makes his heart scream out in joy is fighting a strong opponent until they plead for mercy as their blood seeps out of their wounds, painting the ground a beautiful crimson.

Hisoka narrows his eyes when he thinks about his fight with Chrollo. He thought he was going to win for sure; however, Chrollo had gained new nen abilities that had guaranteed his victory. It also doesn’t help that he was one against over two hundred audience members who were turned into bombs.

The magician closes his eyes and licks his lips. He knows Chrollo is hiding somewhere in the forest. Wherever he is, he will find him and kill him.

“If we run into someone who’s trying to kill us, I’ll fight them off while you hide,” Taz says placing his hand on Hisoka’s shoulder. He looks into the magician’s eyes, concerned for his wellbeing before speaking again. “No matter what happens, we have to get to the gas station. If I die, take my things and find it.”

Hisoka nods his head. “Okay.”

~*~

Kaito and Yarn crouch behind a bush that’s across the gas station, examining its surroundings to make sure no one is hiding or walking around it. When they don’t see any movement, they leave the bush and make their way to the front door but quickly run back to the bush once someone steps outside.

A tall man, who has blond hair and no eyebrows wearing an ugly tracksuit and scarf, closes the front door and walks over to a bush next to the building. He looks around a few times before unzipping his pants and pees. Kaito studies his face, trying to remember where he had seen him and suddenly an image of a spider flashes into his mind.

Kaito clenches his fist. “Looks like I might have to kill someone even though I prefer not to.”

Yarn looks over at him, frowning a little. “Why are you talking to yourself like a crazy person?”

Kaito sighs a little. “That person is part of a deadly gang called the Phantom Troupe. Maybe you have heard of them and if you haven’t, it’s best to stay far away. They have an A class bounty on their head.”

Yarn’s eyes light up. “Hold up! Are they really the Phantom Troupe? The same gang that has the hot leader who always wears goth clothes and slicks his hair back with gel?”

Kaito dismisses her comment since he finds it disturbing to call a deadly criminal hot. There’s nothing hot let alone interesting about the troupe leader who doesn’t have an issue massacring a clan for their eyes and killing hundreds of spectators at Heaven’s Arena. If Yarn didn’t have a crush on Chrollo, she wouldn’t have carelessly gave him a compliment and realized that he’s a monster who needs to be slayed.

Kaito closes his eyes and hopes that Yarn doesn’t mess things up because she has a rather disturbingly high school crush on Chrollo. At least it seems like a crush unless she’s obsessed with him, which isn’t a surprised since some people have become fans of the Phantom Troupe due to their physical appearance.

When everything is said and done, some people will dismiss a criminal’s crime because they are good looking or dress nice. Kaito knows for a fact that woman and men gush over Hisoka at Heaven’s Arena whenever he’s fighting or standing in the hallway. Sometimes fights break out if they don’t get his autograph or picture taken before a match.

What the hell is wrong with people? It’s not like Kaito is in a rush to get into a relationship or marry but he sometimes wonders why some people prefer the bad boy; the criminal who lacks sympathy, humanity, and doesn’t have the requirements to maintain a stable relationship.

Maybe it’s true that good guys finish last.

“If the Phantom Troupe is in the gas station, we need to come up with a different strategy. We can’t walk in there expecting them to give us supplies or stay until tomorrow,” Kaito says sternly while eyeing her.

Yarn sighs a little. “I’m really nervous to meet Chrollo. I know he’s a deadly criminal who has killed a lot of people but I’m really interested in diving into his thoughts and trying to figure out what makes him tick.”

And then it dons on Kaito that Yarn isn ‘t just some girl who knows a way off the island. It seems that she’s been doing research on Chrollo for a while, maybe years, to learn more about him. What for? He wonders if she’s a blacklist hunter or a criminologist who’s writing a research paper about the man behind the Phantom Troupe.

“You’re going to get yourself killed if you play mind games with him. He’s extremely dangerous and…” Kaito tries to finish his sentence but Yarn cuts him off.

“I know a lot about Chrollo, maybe more than you do but I’m not going to get myself into a situation in which I’m killed.”

“Who are you really? Do you really know a way off the island?”

Yarn tries to think of a lie to tell him so that he’ll continue to travel with her. The truth is, she doesn’t know a way off the island, and even if she did, she wouldn’t be able to reach it alone. Sure, she knows how to fight a little but there are some terrifying survivors who could snap her arm easily. She wasn’t planning on lying to Kaito in the beginning but she really wanted to get away from the group to find out where the Phantom Troupe is hiding.

She doesn’t have an issue telling Kaito that she’s a crazy criminologist who writes research papers about deadly criminals but she rather keep her profession a secret since she doesn’t know him very well. After all, he could be a deadly criminal who is waiting for an opportunity to kill her but pretends to act nice and charming. He is another subject she wishes to write a paper about.

That’s if he really is a criminal. Even if he’s not, she’s curious about his profession and why he seems calm, unaffected by the chaos all around them.

“I do,” Yarn lies but it doesn’t convince Kaito. He reaches into his bag for something while her mind races. If he’s about to kill her, she needs to run away before it’s too late. She moves over a little, breathing hard and tries to run away but he grabs her wrist. “Wait! Wait! Don’t kill me!”

Kaito pulls her toward him and covers her mouth. “Would you shut up before they see us.” He points to three troupe members standing in front of gas station. The blonde troupe member is longer outside. “They know where here.”

Yarn places her hand on Kaito’s hand and moves it from her mouth. “From what I read about them, they won’t kill us unless we give them a reason too.”

“Knowing them, they will kill us without giving them a reason. The troupe leader seems very unhinged at the moment,” Kaito whispers into Yarn’s ear. She makes a humming noise as she reaches into her backpack and pulls out a cellphone. “Whatever you do, don’t take a picture of him.”

“I’m not going to although that doesn’t seem like a bad idea since I have a dozen pictures of him in a file back in my office. I don’t have any recent ones,” Yarn says quickly, stumbling over her words as she opens up an application on her cellphone that lets her record a conversation. “I’m going to start recording our conversation in a few minutes.”

Kaito presses his lips on Yarn’s ear. His hot breath kisses her skin, making her blush a little. “I knew something was off. You’re a criminologist working in the blacklist department at the hunter association. Nobody is this stupid to record a conversation with a deadly criminal for the sake of a research paper.”

“I used to work at the hunter association,” Yarn corrects him.

“What?”

“I said that I used to work at the hunter association. I don’t anymore because I was fired. Cheadle had asked me to write a research paper about the mad bomber in Greed Island and I decided to write a paper about the Phantom Troupe,” Yarn says turning her head to look at him. Her lips are inches away from his and for a moment, she contemplates kissing him for the sake of her research. How will a criminal react to a simple kiss? “Cheadle told me to not write a paper about the Phantom Troupe because of their relationship with Meteor City but I ignored her and decided to do it anyway.”

Kaito stares at her lips, noticing their chapped a little before leaning away. “Let me guess, you bought a ticket to board the ship heading for the Dark Continent because you found out that the Phantom Troupe was on it.” He shakes his head. “You’re reckless.”

Yarn rolls her eyes. “Aren’t you reckless as well since you didn’t use your nen to mask our presence?”

Kaito opens his mouth to say something but closes it when a short boy, who looks like a kid in Yarn’s eyes, aims a sword at them, grinning hard like a madman. He’s wearing an oversize winter coat, baseball cap, and steel toe boots.

“Come out now,” the short boy growls deeply, making Yarn’s chest to tighten a little. She stays close to Kaito as they walk around the bush, holding their hands up in the air. “Why are you spying on us?”

“Spying?” Yarn says looking past the young boy to the other two troupe members. She automatically recognizes the woman wearing a small winter coat and large gloves as Machi and the tall man wearing a large winter coat and beanie on his head as Chrollo. “Where’s Feitan?”

Kaito clenches and unclenches his jaw. “What the hell are you doing? Are you trying to get us killed?”

Yarn swallows hard as her heart beats rapidly against her chest. As much research as she’s done on the Phantom Troupe, she has never imagined meeting them in person and learning that they are trying to survive like everyone else trapped on the island. She figured they would be looting the cabins and supermarkets right now.

Not hiding in a gas station.

Something definitely isn’t right. Yarn wonders if it has anything to do with the loss of two troupe members. She had read in a newspaper that the police had found Shalnark and Kortopi’s body in a park near Heaven’s Arena. Whoever had killed them left their body on display for the world to see.

As much as she wants to claim that Hisoka is responsible for their death, it’s impossible since he’s dead. The news had confirmed his death after a bomb had went off on the top floor at Heaven’s Arena. The bomber is Chrollo Lucilfer, or so the police say; however, the troupe leader wouldn’t show his face in public since he has an A class bounty on his head.

“Tie them up and bring them inside,” Chrollo says as he stares at Kaito and Yarn with fire in his eyes.

~*~

“Why are you so quiet?” the young boy asks as jumps in piles of snow.

Illumi ignores him as they walk down a path that leads deeper into the forest. The assassin puts his hands into his pants pockets and wonders how long it will take to find the young boy’s parents. What if they aren’t at the gas station; the same place their group had sent two people to check out. It’s not a coincidence they are heading to the same place. The assassin suspects the boy is lying but it’s also a possibility his parents are really there.

Illumi could kill the kid now and be done with the babysitting job but he wants to find his family and escape the island. That’s the only thing that matters.

They walk down the path for twenty minutes and end up at an old bridge that has chipped paint and cracks in the wood that goes over a stream filled with colorful fish. There are some footprints on the ground, one big and one small, along with feces and urine near the entrance to the bridge. The young boy takes a step on the bridge but Illumi grabs his arm and shoves him away from it.

The young boy picks up some snow and tries to throw it at Illumi but it misses and hits a tree. “What are you doing? I told you that my family is this way!”

Illumi rushes over to the young boy and places his hand over his mouth. He senses someone nearby but he can’t tell where they are hiding. He looks around quickly, picks up the boy with his free arm and holds him close to his chest. The young boy tries to break free but the assassin’s strength prevents him.

“Stop moving if you want to live,” Illumi whispers angrily taking a few steps back toward a tall tree that has some scratch marks on it. He presses his back against it and quickly jumps up to the highest branch. The young boy continues to break free from his grasp but stops when he hears a gun shot in the distance. “Move again and I’ll kill you.”

The young boy goes limp instantly and looks around the forest to see who or what had caused the assassin to seek higher ground. Out of the corner of his eye, he spots three people walking toward the bridge, chatting loudly while holding rifles in their hand. They drag a dead body behind them as if it’s prey they will eat later on.

They cross the bridge and stop on the other side to look around their surroundings. Illumi holds his breath as he moves his hand from the young boy’s mouth and reaches inside his pants pocket for a needle.

“Why didn’t you tell me someone was coming? Geeze you idiot,” the young boy whispers angrily. He leans forward and tries to punch Illumi in the groin but ends up punching his thigh. “Let me go!”

Illumi loosens his grip a little. “If I let go, you will fall to your death. Don’t you want to see your parents?”

“Don’t let me go you dickhead!” the young boy growls.

“I’ll let go if you don’t stop moving. Can’t you see that I’m trying to save your life?” Illumi whispers into the young boy’s ear.

The young boy rolls his eyes. “You could do it a little nicer instead of threatening to kill me. After all, you need me since I know where the girl is who can help us escape the island.”

Illumi ignores his threat and stares at their visitors, wondering what they are searching for. Eventually, they leave and don’t return which is good since the assassin is tired of holding the annoying brat. He stays in the tree for an hour to make sure their visitors are really gone. Even if they do return, he doesn’t have a problem killing them but the young boy might take off or get in the way.

“Let’s go,” Illumi says sternly as he jumps off the tree and lands gracefully in a small pile of snow. He lets go of the young boy and points to the other side of the bridge. “Stay close to me otherwise I’m leaving your ass behind.”

The young boy kicks some snow at Illumi’s pants. “You’re such an ass.”

“I never said that I was nice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this. Please leave a kudo or comment if you like.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading this! Please leave a kudo or comment if you like. :)


End file.
